Analogue systems

Just to throw my hat into the ring, I'm happy to contribute toward 
moderating the group. I also think Brandon's idea is a good one and 
would, if asked for a vote choose "a real email list (with archives and 
a mail interface for settings/sub/unsub)" as described in Brandon's 
post. A couple of groups that I've enjoyed in the past have shared the 
responsibility of the nuts and bolts of moderation among a few members 
and that has seemed to work - perhaps that might be the way forward.

On Friday October 1st at 17:00 in the pouring rain - and it doesn't 
pour much more than in Ullswater - I enjoyed a drink with Bob Williams 
in the Inn on the Lake. My excuse/reason was to buy a new 6U rack for 
continued expansion - The extra 'foreign sockets' ( see comment on the 
'D' word ) were the selling point after having cobbled together my last 
two racks using scrap computer racks (a fiver each for 3U in bomb proof 
steel) and electric bits bought from an old school house in Bristol ( 
that pesky 'D' word again ). Winter and laziness have crept in and the 
thought of a box that would drive both kinds of 'A' and a 'D' seemed 
too good to miss.  A multiple, a phono multiple and an inverter/preamp 
completed the obligatory 'normal' stuff and the two 'built under 
licence' 500 series EMS clones provided the afternoon grin.

A peek in the back of Bob's car had me green with envy and full of 
criminal intent - who did I know in the Lakes that did car theft? The 
reason - a big wooden polished rack full of yummy modules. It's true - 
no amount of racks will ever have the feelgood factor of an expensive 
wooden cabinet. I was impressed so much that during my first lime and 
soda (bah, driving again) I discussed with Bob the idea of 'skinning my 
30U rack with posh wood for the effect. Since I arrived home, I've 
decided to add a 'lean forward' 10 extension on top and build a 10U 
power supply and effects 'lean back' extension underneath. Then with a 
wooden skin, I'll have an eighth of Tonto's little brother.

I dropped the bits at home, had to drive 1100 miles on business and 
then eventually arrived home last night. The 500s are everything I 
remember (shaky memories of a Synthi AKS from the 70s/80s. The trapezy 
thing is a powerful little envelope and modulation combination - I'd 
forgotten how powerful restricted things could be and how they made you 
try harder. The filter was a surprise too - I'd forgotten how lively 
and unsuspecting the sneak-up of the unfettered resonance could be.

Best of all was the bit I didn't pay for - a couple of hours in Bob's 
company. There are some conversations you can only have with a 'true' 
enthusiast (no to with say a shop assistant in a chain music store). I 
enjoyed the chat, the drink and it even made parting with a wad of the 
folding stuff acceptable. I've come away with a desire for wood (I'd 
better rephrase that) - a desire for  a laminated modular. I learned a 
few things I didn't know, had a few laughs and got the low down on the 
poly oscillator thing (now on my Christmas wish list despite me being a 
monophile (good sales pitch, Bob)

And finally the 'D' word. I'm getting pretty bored with the my AnaSys 
is better than your Anusol and my Doep can do things your A Sys can't 
dream of arguments. I know it hasn't infested this group yet but 
conversations are becoming reminiscent of my Betamax/BMW is better than 
your VHS/Porsche. We're in the privileged position where we can mix and 
match modular bits - I always thought that was the idea. The new 6U box 
makes it even easier and as ever, the combination of the bits is worth 
more than the sum of their individual values.

And finally again - I decided to let my other 'good idea' out of the 
bag. Fairly regularly there appears on eBay 'Moog Polypedals'. As most 
of the Polymoogs are dead or intercoursed, they're not popular and 
quite often go for peanuts (or at least cashews). Stick five volts into 
the sucky end and you'll be rewarded with three switchable voltage 
sources into two 'expression' pedals - originally pitch, loudness and 
filter, an extra on off for an external synth and a pair of piano 
pedals  (on off switches) I currently have it hooked up to my Minimoog 
via the Moog loom hanging out of the back of it and am making a second 
loom to run straight into my modular. And, while i'm on the subject of 
dead Moog bits - of which there are manyt - i'm looking for a half 
decent but affordable synth technician to revive my dead and ailing 
Moog Satellite and add an external loom to it for me. i have this Bee 
in my Bonnet about the satellite since I saw an article about a guy in 
the US using a Satellite as the keyboard for his modular. He'd tapped 
CV and gate from it and futher taken voltages from the half a dozen 
sliders to his modular. Now that seems like a smart idea - using a Moog 
Keyboard (albeit made by thomas) and a Moog pedal unit to give me more 
control of my modular.

And if you got this far without glazing over, well done. rant's over. 
I'll shut up again until I've something to say...

Keith P